Haven’t read all the posts on the 70.3 WC, but wanted to add some thoughts of a BOP from the race. (none of your elitist bs, thank you very much–not my fault the spots rolled down early in the season)
Definitly more waves are in order to break up the groups if there isn’t any geography to help do so. I would also (as a woman), favor putting some women in earlier waves to put in some time differentials between some of the top AGers. That could start a whole new discussion of why women are always relegated to the last wave (with few exceptions, thank you Vineman), but I don’t want to go there today.
I only saw one huge pack of mixed AG men and women from my vantage point at the back. (didn’t have a great swim) Saw them coming back over the out/back on the long causeway and was pretty impressed, as I hadn’t seen a pack that big in a triathlon. I think I would have simply fell off my bike if I had seen the larger peletons ahead of them that I have now seen in photos.
The cheating/drafting wasn’t limited to the packs, though. Behind the last large pack, and in front of me, I saw two women in the 60-64 AG definitely riding each other’s wheel heading E on the causeway. A women in the 55-59 AG had no problem with an immediate repass (i.e., not dropping back out of the zone) when I went by her early on. And to the chick and her bf/husband/coach who ran along side her for over 1/2 mile on the run–kiss my sweet a$$. I wouldn’t have cared if you went by me on the run and blew my shoes off, but stop it with your outside assistance. I’d even give you 50-100m of that, but enough was enough, esp. once you got called out on it.
Which leads me to wonder…why are the officials not being held more accountable (as well as the athletes)? I suggest that they find one of the peletons…cause a ruckus by making the whole darn bunch stop…piss all of them off; piss off the people who get held up behind them for disrupting the bike flow; and then those of us riding clean can do so. If more athletes get MAD at the cheaters, maybe some societal pressure would help as well, instead of just letting it happen.
One more comment about the course, which I had doubts about ever since I went to the so-called training camp at the end of Sept…to whomever posted that they felt bad for the community for the traffic snarls…amen, brother. Though they had warning, I’m sure, a course over major roads with all those left turns across traffic was ill-conceived at best. Why not even do the loop the other direction to decrease car traffic impact?
And btw…by the time the later women/men were coming through at the BOP and there were gaps between us, the cars starting infiltrating the course. Twice I looked up to see a car sitting smack dab in the bikers’ lane. The cops did their best, but there were just too many intersections and crossovers to compare.
I’m glad I had the chance to go to a World Championship…other than the bike issues, it was very well done, and as close to Kona as I’m going to get. And I had a PR…even without riding in a peleton. 